Chapter 210: One Sword at Sunrise

A brilliant white light illuminated the moon, and the boundless night sky softly yielded.

“Has the sun risen?”

As the sword energy ascended, not only did all the inner court disciples witness the illuminated starry sky, but even the younger students in the outer court were captivated by the sight.

“Is this what the inner court senior disciples’ combat trials are like? It’s incredibly dramatic! Our seniors are truly terrifying!”

“Tsk tsk, I never imagined such a sight. When will I reach this level?”

“You? Heh, have you even cultivated your Qi Sea yet? Go to sleep! Save your energy for tomorrow’s daydreams.”

“Shut up!”

The newly arrived young students chattered amongst themselves, watching from the common courtyard or behind fences, under the watchful eyes of black-clad enforcement officers.

With a thunderous roar, a spatial rift was torn open in the void by a snow-white sword. Everyone stared, feeling as though their souls might be sucked in, swallowing hard in disbelief.

“Officer Wang, this…”

“Is this truly the seniors’ combat trial?”

The man, addressed as Officer Wang, stood with his hands clasped behind his back, gazing up at the void, a subtle worry hidden deep in his eyes.

“Yes, now go back to sleep.”

“It’s nothing to worry about!”

Outside the Spirit Palace.

High in the sky, several Grand Masters ganged up on a stooped old man wielding only a small axe.

Blood sprayed wildly; the scene was gruesome.

The two Grand Elders were the first to collapse, falling from the sky covered in deep gashes. With a few thuds, they landed unconscious on the ground. Their combat power was completely lost!

Ye Xiaotian and Jiang Bianyan, working together, could barely withstand Cen Qiaofu’s terrifying assault. But when that small axe struck, it could cleave even the very fabric of the Dao. Who could possibly stop it?

“Palace Master Ye, I’m not exaggerating, but honestly, I can barely hold on!”

Jiang Bianyan clutched his chest; if the blow had been any deeper, his heart would have ruptured.

“I explicitly stated in my plea for help that the incoming adversary might be a high-ranking member of the ‘Holy Slave’ organization.”

Without looking back, Ye Xiaotian re-entered the void.

“If only you hadn’t dismissed my concerns, I wouldn’t have just summoned the Holy Divine Temple. Perhaps we could have held out longer!”

Of course, Ye Xiaotian only muttered this last part to himself; he didn't voice it aloud. He had never imagined that the Holy Divine Temple would treat the matter so casually. Was Elder Sang truly right all along?

A hands-off policy...

Jiang Bianyan forced a bitter smile. How could he have known the situation would be this dire? Had he not witnessed the 'Holy Slave' organization’s massive assault with his own eyes today, he would have genuinely believed it was still that insignificant group from back then, easily crushed.

“Has a single spark, without anyone realizing, grown into a raging wildfire?”

He casually caught Ye Xiaotian, who had been struck back, and saw his white hair stained red. A bitter expression touched Jiang Bianyan’s lips.

“Perhaps we should…”

Ye Xiaotian lowered his eyelids, and his entire being vanished.

This was his Spirit Palace! There was no 'perhaps' about it!

Boom—

Just then, a dazzling white light completely silenced everyone. The few individuals from the Spirit Palace stared blankly at 'Tomb-Naming City Snow' trembling in the sky.

“That girl Qianqian’s sword...”

The several formation discs Qiao Qianzhi held in his hand seemed to lose all purpose of attack and simply drooped.

Rage flared in Ye Xiaotian’s eyes, and his teeth ground with a loud crunch.

“Did it still fail?”

He felt a bitter pang. According to the plan, Elder Sang should have been protecting Su Qianqian. Had he, too, failed to stop the masked man?

Cen Qiaofu, however, was stunned by the astonishing sword intent. As far as he knew, this clearly indicated the masked man was unleashing his full power!

“This kid is insane. Doesn't he know the extent of his own injuries? This is suicide!”

“Within the Spirit Palace, how could there be someone who could provoke him to such fury?”

Filled with doubt and surprise, the old man could only abandon the others and flash directly toward the center of the storm.

Ye Xiaotian’s gaze sharpened. Clasping the bloody gash on his chest, he uttered with difficulty:

“Follow him!”

Near the back mountain.

Xu Xiaoshou sprinted towards Elder Sang’s location. He was truly grateful that the old man had called out to him at the crucial moment. Otherwise, if he had foolishly charged forward, wouldn't he have been cleaved in two by the masked man’s shocking sword strike?

However, while Xu Xiaoshou had come to his senses, the masked man’s rage had only just begun. It was the first time he had been beaten so badly. This kid’s ability to exploit every opening... it was unbelievable! He had exploited his moments of weakness for a flurry of attacks, nearly crippling him. Crucially, this fellow was just a junior, and he didn’t seem to have improved much since their last meeting. He genuinely wondered how such a small fry could possess such explosive power.

Of course, none of that mattered anymore!

After a roar from the masked man, 'Tomb-Naming City Snow' vibrated in the void, finally unleashing the true power of a famous sword. The brilliant white sword energy that illuminated the night sky solidified, then the world was enveloped in frosty chill. After the frost sword intent converged, a dazzling blue sword light once again lit up the night.

The sword energy shot forth, directly causing Xu Xiaoshou’s face to drain of color in terror. There was no escaping it! He had thought that since he hadn't closed the distance with the masked man, his Grandmaster-level 'Agility' would allow him to reach Elder Sang's embrace in no time...

However, he had miscalculated! He had truly underestimated his opponent and overestimated himself! But how could an ant comprehend the strength of a giant?

Midway through his run, Xu Xiaoshou found he couldn't escape the masked man’s basic attack range. The dazzling blue sword light was instantly upon his back, forcing him to turn and face it head-on.

“I got reckless…”

“But at least I’ll go out in a blaze of glory!”

His back sank, his elbow raised, and the energy of 'Passive Fist' was about to ignite...

Just then!

His 'Perception' suddenly saw Elder Sang’s straw hat, pressed low on the back mountain, lift slightly. The eyes hidden beneath its shadows were directly illuminated by the dazzling blue sword light!

“You’re asking for death!”

The old man was enraged. No one could harm someone he had taken an interest in, especially since Xu Xiaoshou had already become his disciple!

Boom—

An earth-shattering clang erupted where the fist and sword light collided, shattering the high-altitude space for hundreds of meters around. Cracks in the void spread like the gaping maw of an ancient gluttonous beast, wildly tearing at and sucking in everything nearby: trees, soil, dust...

Xu Xiaoshou was sent flying. He gazed in inexplicable horror at the point where Elder Sang’s fist and the sword light had collided, realizing that without the old man pushing him away, even with 'Passive Fist,' he probably couldn't have withstood the masked man’s furious strike.

“Is this the power of a true master?”

He clenched his fists. Indeed, compared to them, he was utterly obliterated, leaving not even a trace! Even with his Passive System and various passive skill bonuses, confronting true powerhouses with his current meager cultivation was entirely insufficient!

He woke up. No matter how strong passive skills were, at best they were only powerful when compared to spiritual skills of the same level. Post-Heaven level passive skills still couldn't defeat Innate level spiritual skills, a fact proven during his competition with Mo Mo in the outer court.

So, what qualifications did he have to face the masked man? With just a surge of hot blood? Or did he think he could do whatever he pleased just because the guy seemed to have some appreciation for him? The masked man had shown no mercy at all!

Cold sweat poured down Xu Xiaoshou’s back. At this moment, his inflated ego, which had grown from crushing everything since the Heavenly Xuan Gate, was utterly annihilated by a single sword strike. The Grey Mist Man had already taught him a lesson, yet he had still acted recklessly.

“I shouldn't have interfered…”

“If even Elder Sang can’t defeat him, then…”

Just then, he felt as if he had collided with something, and his entire body veered off course, flying directly sideways. He had been pushed away by Elder Sang. The strength of the old man’s push was evident; even the black hole couldn’t pull people away from him.

Xu Xiaoshou turned his head and saw a stooped old man, his face covered in blood, holding an axe.

“A disaster?”

Cen Qiaofu stared at the young man before him in shock, his face filled with disbelief. The successive battles against several Grand Masters hadn’t caused him to shed a single drop of blood, yet a mere collision with this kid had almost blasted his head off? Why had he been knocked back by a mere youngster? Why did his face feel as if it had been lacerated by countless sword marks the moment he touched him? When had he struck? Why couldn't even someone of his cultivation level perceive it clearly?

Cen Qiaofu ultimately couldn't suppress the confusion in his heart and asked with surprise:

“Are you a hedgehog?”